Georgia South Family Medicine Residency is located in Moultrie, Georgia at Colquitt Regional Medical Center. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and is dedicated to training physicians to provide the full spectrum of care for rural and medically underserved areas of South Georgia. The program consists of 12 residents that are involved in the care of patients aged from birth to adulthood and are also trained to provide obstetric care.
Georgia South operates a busy outpatient clinic and provides in-patient care to adult and pediatric patients at Colquitt Regional Medical Center. Residents of Georgia South Family Medicine train in an unopposed program and work closely with hospitalists and community physicians to deliver the highest quality healthcare to the people of Colquitt County and South Georgia.
Founded in 1939, Colquitt Regional Medical Center is a 99-bed community-based teaching hospital located in the heart of Southwest Georgia. At our core, we exist to provide high-quality and compassionate healthcare to all who enter our doors. Home to over 1,350 employees, Colquitt Regional affords access to advanced medical services with more than 100 providers bringing expertise in 30+ specialties.
We hold patient safety as a top priority and have demonstrated our commitment to patient-centered care through various national accreditations and certifications such as: The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for our joint replacement program, certification as a Comprehensive Center for bariatric surgery under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), and recognition from The Leapfrog Group for receiving 12 consecutive "A" hospital safety ratings. We also recently became the fifth hospital in Georgia to receive the Pathway to Excellence designation.
Knowing that innovation is integral for future success, we continue to implement technologies to stay at the cutting edge, such as the 128-slice CT scanner, 3T MRI, da Vinci Minimally Invasive Surgery System, 3D/4D mammography, and SAVI SCOUT®. Our most recent additions and expansions include hyperbaric oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, inpatient dialysis, a premier oncology center, and a state-of-the-art women's health facility.
We pride ourselves on providing exceptional care by exceptional people and strive to make the difference in turning stressful medical situations into remarkable healthcare experiences for patients and loved ones.
Due to COVID-19, there are currently no recruitment fairs scheduled for this time.
We are a diverse community of learners committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive primary care to the rural and underserved communities of South Georgia through a training program for residents and students that aims to be both rigorous and personally fulfilling.
Our main goal is to train physicians in the full breadth of primary care to serve rural communities in Georgia; yet feel confident that our graduates have both the clinical acumen as well as the independent learning skills to provide basic health care for all people anywhere in the country or around the world.
Central to our program is the incorporation of individuality to each residents training. We have developed a strong, unified didactic experience as well as a unique learning experience beyond the basic required rotations.
Residents and faculty will have community exposure through experiences with rural health centers, public health departments and high school sporting events. By involvement in hospital and clinic quality committees, residents engage in scholarly activities that impact the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery in our local community.
Both quality improvement projects and scholarly activity are integral parts of our curriculum and are requirements for graduation from the program.
We hope to develop our residents into compassionate, well-trained family physicians who can contribute their skills to providing excellent medical care to rural populations. For more information on our Curriculum, please see the charts below:
Model teaching in outpatient care:
Utilize the Georgia South Family Medicine Center as a model of outpatient teaching by a faculty with diverse areas of expertise and by creating a culture of continuity care, prevention and health promotion.
Comprehensive Inpatient training:
Operate an inpatient service that prepares residents for hospital practice by providing quality training experiences in the core disciplines of adult and pediatric medicine, obstetrics, geriatrics, end of life care, general surgery, and the various subspecialty disciplines that encompass the broad training of Family Physicians.
Competency in Medical Education:
Prepare residents for practicing the broad scope of Family Medicine in an evolving electronic healthcare environment in which medical technology and evidence based medicine must integrate for the purpose of delivering high quality and cost effective care.
As teaching physicians, we take our role as Faculty members very seriously. As medicine continues to change, we must keep current with quality measures, patient satisfaction trends and best practice recommendations. In doing so, we are able to provide our Residents with the skills they need to treat and care for their patients and the community.
Dr. Kirby Smith is the Program Director for the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program in Moultrie, Georgia. In 1995, he started in Moultrie as a physician with primary care. Five years later, he was inspired to start his own practice in hopes of leaving a legacy to others. As the residency director, his favorite experience is watching the residents develop into strong, confident doctors as they apply everything that they have learned throughout medical school and during their residency experience. Some strengths of our program are that we are a small rural, hometown community hospital. As an unopposed program, there is no competition on treating patients between other fellow residents. As a resident at Georgia South, you will work side-by-side with each attending. One of the most important parts that you will practice during our Family Medicine Residency Program will be building relationships with your patients, fellow residents, and faculty.
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Southeastern University of Health Sciences/COM, Lakeland, FL
RESIDENCY
Sparrow Family Medicine Residency at Michigan State
BACHELORS
University of South Florida
Board Certified – American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians
Dr. Woodwin Weeks is the Associate Program Director at Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program, a hospitalist, and a staff member at Colquitt Regional Medical Center. He was born and raised in Colquitt County. In 2013, he started a private practice. Due to his passion of education and continuity of learning, he moved over to the educational side of medicine in 2017 when he became a part of the family at Georgia South as our Associate Program Director for our residency program. On a day-to-day basis in Family Medicine, we deal with a wide variety of acute and chronic problems. Our biggest focus is preventative health and trying to help people live the healthiest lifestyle that they can. He always wanted to become a doctor because the science behind medicine has always intrigued him. The ability to work closely with people on improving their health has what kept him in the medical field. The most rewarding part of being in graduate medical education is witnessing the “lightbulb” moments in our residents and medical students. His goal is to draw more long-term physicians into our community through the kind of care and experiences that each medical student and resident receives in our clinic. One of the biggest advantages of Georgia South Family Medicine Residency is that we are an unopposed program in a rural, underserved area. We are able to give our residents a place to comfortably and safely learn that breathe of family medicine.
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
RESIDENCY
Florida Hospital
BACHELORS
Emmanuel College
Board Certified – American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians
Dr. Melissa Cardwell is a part of our faculty at Georgia South and loves to teach our residents about Wellness. She has been an advocate for whole person wellness for as long as she could remember. It is her privilege and a blessing to bring physician wellness components to our program. Her favorite part of teaching, besides learning from the residents, is helping them avoid mistakes that she has already made as a physician. She loves being apart of each resident’s journey and helping make an impact on their life. She counts it as a blessing to be faculty at Georgia South. Outside of teaching our residents, Dr. Cardwell loves spending time with her husband and children. Her husband also enjoys teaching and learning medicine. In the wee hours of the morning, you can usually find Dr. Cardwell reading or writing for pleasure where usually they all contain some sort of wellness.
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri
RESIDENCY
Via Christi Family Medicine Residency, Wichita, KS
BACHELORS
William Penn University, Oskaloosa, IA
Board Certified – American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians
Dr. Jared Cardwell enjoys teaching our residents about inpatient and hospital medicine. Our hospital is called Family Medicine Residency Service. His desire each and every day is to make the Family Medicine Residency Service the best that it can be for our residents so that they have all of the resources that they need to adequately take care of our patients. Dr. Cardwell takes his role as a faculty member at Georgia South very seriously. He takes pleasure in having the opportunity to invest in the resident’s lives and to help them become the best physician that they possibly can be, but also as individuals. One of Dr. Cardwell’s favorite teaching moments was when our residents awarded him with Preceptor of the Year.
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Medical College of Georgia
RESIDENCY
Via Chrisiti Family Medicine Residency, Wichita, KS
BACHELORS
Valdosta State University
Board Certified – American Board of Family Medicine
Colquitt Regional Medical Center
3131 South Main Street
Moultrie, 31768
O: (229) 985-3420
Dr. Brumfield Mitchum is a former resident of the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program and joined the residency’s core faculty after she graduated. She was a part of the inaugural residency class here at Georgia South, and is proud to continue practicing in the community where she was trained. Dr. Brumfield Mitchum is passionate about health equity and the elimination of health disparities. Her medical interests also include women’s health and rural medicine, which is rooted in her upbringing in a small Louisiana town with limited access to medical resources.
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus, Suwanee, GA
RESIDENCY
Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program, Moultrie, GA
GRADUATE
Drexel University College of Medicine – Master of Science
UNDERGRADUATE
Xavier University of Louisiana – Bachelor of Science
Board Certification – American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians
Dr. Carden is a Georgia licensed psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. He has been involved in teaching and coordinating Behavioral Medicine Services for Family Medicine Residency programs for over 25 years. He is married and has one son, who is a commercial airline pilot. Dr. Carden enjoys coaching and teaching baseball during his free time and is also involved in breeding and showing Arabian show horses.
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Ph.D. in Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
RESIDENCY
Silber Psychological Services, Raleigh, North Carolina
Child and Adolescent Psychology
BACHELORS
B.S. in Psychology, Emory and Henry College, Emory, Virginia
M.S. in Psychology, Radford University, Radford, Virginia
PhD Counseling Psychology Florida State University
Masters Clinical Psychology Radford University
Georgia South hosts weekly didactic sessions for residents, medical students, staff physicians and other learners. Sessions are held each Wednesday beginning at 1:30 pm. Didactic sessions include “core” lectures, which cover topics pertinent to the foundation of Family Medicine. Core lectures are repeated annually to allow residents to review core topics and concepts multiple times throughout their three years of residency training. In addition to core lectures, didactic sessions include journal club, case reviews, resident-led lectures, board review, and frequent review of certifications (i.e. brief review of NRP, PALS, ACLS, ALSO, etc).
Block 1 and 2 (8 weeks) begins Georgia South’s “core” lectures, which are repeated annually to cover the foundation of Family Medicine. This means that residents will get “core” lectures 3 times during their training. All other lectures will be repeated twice during a resident’s training.
Beginning block 3, a “15-month” curriculum is implemented that excludes the 2 months of annual core.
“Core” topics:
As valued members of our team, residents are paid a competitive salary and are eligible for our extensive technology, educational and health benefits.
Residents are paid a progressive salary. In addition, first-year residents receive a $2,000 moving and transition allowance.
Residents have access to a variety of educational and licensing benefits:
Book and Continuing Medical Education (CME) allowance:
Paid memberships to the following professional organizations:
Our residents enjoy the following insurance and health benefits:
Health and dental insurance available for residents and their families Flexible spending accounts
In addition, residents also receive the following job-related benefits:
Thank you for your interest in our program. Please note we only accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), therefore all applicants must apply to the program through ERAS. Please do not submit applications via email or fax.
The following requirements must be met by residency applicants applying to our program in order to be considered for an interview.
Thank you for your interest in our Family Medicine Residency Program. We participate in the ERAS application process. If you have questions regarding the program, please contact:
If you prefer, call us at
229-502-9769
Dr. Robert Mobley Jeter knew he wanted to work at Georgia South as soon as he arrived for his interview. Originally from Byromville, Georgia, Jeter wanted to practice somewhere similar to the place he calls home. Jeter first considered Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program when it was recommended by a local physician. “Moultrie offers an ideal mix of comfort and southern hospitality, but it boasts access to the resources normally confined to larger healthcare systems,” said Jeter. “It was a no brainer.” It was evident to Jeter that the faculty had a “clear sense of direction and purpose for the residency and the dedication to see it succeed.” From day one, Jeter was assured he would have “both the structure to become the best doctor possible, and the flexibility to focus” where he most wants to be. He said he has seen that happen in the short time that he has been in the program. Within the first few months of starting at Georgia South, Jeter noticed a significant change in himself in terms of knowledge, skill, and confidence. “In that regard, I’m certain that the three years I spend here will be above and beyond my expectations of what is necessary to be successful and effective in my care,” said Jeter. Dr. Jeter’s passions in medicine include preventative screening and lifestyle modification to reduce the impact of, or completely circumvent chronic illnesses. “Rather than treating disease and suffering the symptoms, I’d love to see people avoid them altogether,” said Jeter. Outside of work, Jeter enjoys computer programming, fitness training, and cryptocurrency. A “minimalist,” Jeter is open to whatever the future holds. While his preference is practicing medicine in Georgia, his main priority is providing care to any community in need.
From a small age, Dr. Madison Lamar-Hill knew she wanted to practice medicine in a place near her hometown of Sale City, Georgia. Little did she know that she would end up only one county away during her residency. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Lamar attended medical school at DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. As Lamar began to consider where she was going to complete her residency, Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program appealed to her because of its rigor and comprehensive curriculum. “The Georgia South Residency Program itself was unlike any other that I encountered on the interview trail,” said Lamar. “Every preceptor I interacted with had a very different style of teaching, but each complemented the other. I feel that our resident graduates will be some of the most well-rounded in our field.” When asked about her experience thus far, Lamar said that Moultrie and Colquitt Regional have both been so welcoming. “Intern year is supposed to be challenging, and rightfully so,” said Lamar. “The individuals here make you feel at home and that you can succeed both professionally and personally.” Lamar chose Family Medicine because of the relationships that are developed, the flexibility in practice, and the breadth of knowledge gained. Another contributing factor toward her success at Georgia South is that she feels valued as a “person first” and that this sentiment is on display every day. “It was apparent from the moment I arrived,” said Lamar. “I knew that this hospital and this program was a special place with a strong emphasis on human relationships.” Upon completion of her residency, Lamar will practice family medicine and wellness for medical professionals in a rural setting in Arizona.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Kayla Batchelor has always loved the south. This ultimately played a huge role in her decision to complete her residency at Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program. Batchelor attended Belhaven University and then moved onto Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. After graduation, Batchelor moved to Moultrie with her husband, Collin. “The Moultrie community and Colquitt Regional have been overwhelmingly welcoming to my husband and I,” said Batchelor. “Georgia South and everyone at the hospital have gone out of their way to ensure that I am adjusting well to residency and the hurdles that come along with being a new physician.” One of the many ways Georgia South welcomes their new residents is with a team-building activity at the YMCA Adventure Course. Batchelor reminisced that the various team-building activities, including a dual zip-line, climbing tower, and various team-building activities has been her favorite memory thus far. With a particular interest in women’s health and in-office procedures, Batchelor enjoys the everchanging nature of Family Medicine, which allows her to be a part of the unique events of her patients’ lives. “Patient interaction is important to me,” said Batchelor. “I want to be there for significant milestones like childbirth, athletics, routine visits, and so much more.” Having studied Sports Medicine in college, Batchelor’s initial plan was to pursue a career in athletic training or physical therapy. That plan changed throughout the course of her undergraduate years, though. “I soon realized that while I enjoyed Sports Medicine, I enjoyed the continuity of care that family medicine offers,” said Batchelor. Georgia South exposes residents to a variety of patients and pathology in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This has allowed Batchelor to “gain tremendous knowledge on a daily basis” as well as have “autonomy with the management and treatment of patients.” Upon completion of her residency, Batchelor plans to pursue a career as a family medicine physician who has a passion for advocating and educating patients.
Dr. Giselle Pineiro never seriously considered a career path other than one in healthcare. She knew from the age of 12 that she would become a doctor and that became her goal. She attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – Georgia Campus in Suwanee, Ga. While completing her clinical rotations in Albany, Pineiro had the opportunity to work at Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program. Her time at Georgia South played a huge role in her decision to eventually move to Moultrie to participate in the program herself as a resident. “Georgia South was the program I measured all other experiences against, both because it was an excellent, burgeoning family medicine program and because of the people associated with it,” said Pineiro. “I saw myself growing as a student in my knowledge, professionalism and clinical application of medicine – and all before I had started as a resident. It was a very natural fit.” Pineiro reflected back on her first year in the residency program with fondness, particularly a twin C-section observed during her pediatrics rotation, but not without acknowledging that there have been moments for growth. When asked how her experience at Georgia South has been thus far, Pineiro said that it has been challenging. “Residency is the first time you are actually responsible for your own patients and are putting into practice what you have been training for a decade,” said Pineiro. “The expectations are high; there is no time for someone to hold your hand with every decision or order you have to put in.” While her specialty is family medicine her passions in medicine involve women’s health including sexual education, labor and delivery, and health screenings. Pineiro plans to continue her career in family medicine in Moultrie after graduation.
Originally from Tifton, Georgia, Dr. Ethan McBrayer grew up knowing he wanted a career in medicine and to practice in South Georgia. A major factor in his choice of career path can be attributed to his parents. “Growing up in a rural, medically underserved region of Georgia, the influence of my parents, who both have servant’s hearts, and my desire to serve others shaped my passion for a career in medicine,” said McBrayer. Prior to his residency, McBrayer completed his medical degree at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee, Georgia. McBrayer was introduced to Colquitt Regional and Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program when he was selected to complete his clinical clerkships in Moultrie during his third year of medical school. When it came time to choose where he would complete his residency, he took the advice of others that had gone through the process before him. “I was told along the interview trail to find a program with your people, where you felt comfortable, and where you fit,” said McBrayer. “From my third-year medical school rotations I realized quickly that Georgia South was the program in which I truly felt at home. It was also desirable that Georgia South is located near family and friends. I recognized that it would help me fulfill my goal of being a competent primary care doctor serving rural Southwest Georgia.”. “My time at Georgia South has grown my desire to pursue family medicine,” said McBrayer. “The preceptors I rotated with during my medical training clerkships have become mentors. I felt comfortable asking them questions about the field and found they were eager to teach and invest in me. I expressed an interest in learning more about procedures and the program helped make it possible for me.” While at Georgia South, his experience has helped him develop a sense of what he is especially interested in: outpatient procedures such as joint injections, skin excisions, and osteopathic manipulative medicine. He also said that he is considering pursing fellowships in either hospital medicine or emergency medicine. He has also enjoyed the close bond his class of residents share. “My favorite memory is last year’s program-wide get together with the intern class,” said McBrayer. “There was a comradery that was felt among everyone. I value this memory because it shows that I have a support system.”
Dr. Jermaine Robinson, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida native, discovered the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency program at a Residency and Hospital Expo that he attended during his time in medical school. After speaking with one of the Georgia South residents, Robinson decided to make his way to Moultrie to complete an audition rotation. “I immediately became interested in the program and the city after a fellow resident highly recommended it,” said Robinson. “It was during the audition rotation that I became enamored with both the residency and the city, so I decided that I wanted to reside and train in Moultrie.” Before moving to Moultrie, Robinson completed his medical education at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in Dothan, Alabama. Robinson said he wanted to pursue a career in the healthcare industry to make an impact on people’s overall well-being. “I wanted to help people in a truly significant way by improving an individual’s health,” said Robinson. “I also wanted a career that allows me to actively serve the community and build strong long-term relationships with people. As a family medicine physician, I can do just that. I chose Georgia South because I wanted a well-rounded, rigorous curriculum that offers the full breadth of primary care and trains me to provide health care to diverse patient populations,” said Robinson. “Georgia South has amazing attending physicians that are supportive and enthusiastic about teaching, and encourage independent thinking.” When asked why he chose the specialty of family medicine, Robinson said he wanted to be the first line of defense for patients in their care. “I want to be able to provide holistic and preventative medicine that would allow my patients to live longer and healthier lives and thwart disease and complications before they arise,” said Robinson. “I also love the variety of ailments observed and managed as a family medicine physician. Most of all, I value and appreciate the relationships I am able to build with my patients and the entire community.” Robinson wants to own his own traditional family medicine and osteopathic neuromuscular medicine practice one day, along with continuing to offer inpatient care for patients in the hospital. He also is interested in obstetrics, osteopathic manual manipulation, and outpatient procedures.
Dr. Arian Baker knew exactly the type of residency program she was searching for – a smaller, community-based program set in a rural, southern area. Not only did Georgia South Family Medicine Residency check off all the necessary boxes, but the community made a perfect match for her as well. “After interviewing with the program directors, I was taken on a tour of the hospital and the community and I fell in love with Moultrie,” said Baker. “Everyone I met was so warm and welcoming. I already liked what I had learned about the residency program, but the hospital staff and community in general helped seal the deal.” Before moving to Moultrie to participate in the residency program, Baker attended medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine. Baker realized her passion for healthcare when she was 10 years old when she lost someone close to her after a battle with stage four breast cancer. Since then, her mission has been to provide care for the underserved and break barriers to healthcare that many in small, rural settings face. “Georgia South is giving me access to a wide variety of patients and conditions, particularly in a rural setting in addition to preparing me for what’s on the horizon in medicine,” said Baker. “I know that my training will prepare me for whatever may come my way as a practicing physician.” Baker chose family medicine as her specialty because of the diversity and versatility that it brings. She particularly enjoys the variety of patients that she gets to see on a daily basis. “I love that I could be delivering a baby in the morning and see a spunky 99 year-old patient in the afternoon,” said Baker. “It is truly a noble specialty and a gateway to specialized healthcare for more complicated patients.” Upon completion of her residency, Baker plans on bringing her expertise to a small, rural setting to provide for underserved populations by eliminating barriers to care and reducing healthcare disparity. “My ultimate goal is to practice full scope medicine in a rural area where I can also educate and teach the community ways to improve their health and well-being,” said Baker.
While completing his third-year medical school rotations in Moultrie, Dr. Stephen Yarbrough knew there was something special about Colquitt Regional and Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program. Yarbrough was looking for a place with a rural setting and a diversified learning experience and that is exactly what he found at Georgia South. “As a third and fourth year medical student rotating in Moultrie, I fell in love with the area and the people,” said Yarbrough. “Colquitt Regional appealed to me because of the people. Everyone in the hospital speaks to each other and you get to know most of the people you work with.” From a young age, Yarbrough knew he wanted to help others through a career in the medical field and wanted a job that offered a varied, diverse environment. “I knew I always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others by keeping them healthy and helping them get well in times of sickness,” said Yarbrough. “I also desired a career full of variety and medicine offered that.” Yarbrough completed his medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee, Georgia. Yarbrough has gained so many invaluable, hands-on experience at Georgia South and Colquitt Regional. “My experience at Georgia South has been great,” said Yarbrough. “I have been able to work one on one with my preceptors and participate in many procedures. I might not have been able to do that in other larger residency programs.” One of the biggest determining factors in his decision to come to Georgia South was the opportunity to practice at a facility where its residents get exclusive access to patient care. “Having the opportunity to train at an unopposed program was a major factor for me in selecting a residency program,” said Yarbrough. Residency programs that are the only medical specialty in a hospital are considered unopposed programs. “This would allow me to have free rein of working with other specialties or doing procedures in the hospital,” said Yarbrough. Yarbrough’s long-term goal is to practice in a rural setting somewhere close to his hometown, Fitzgerald, Georgia. He particularly enjoys keeping people well with a focus in preventative medicine. When not practicing medicine, Yarbrough likes spending time outdoors in nature and cultivating his green thumb in the garden.
“As much as I could say I chose Moultrie, I am humbled that Moultrie chose me. For the past four years, while still serving in an underserved population, I did know that the city wasn’t for me. I am a small-town boy, and I always will be. I am thrilled to be back in South Georgia, specifically in Moultrie, GA, with the Georgia South team to support alleviating the medical disparities in rural Georgia” said Dr. Harris. He decided to pursue a career in healthcare after having a monumental moment in his life that would not have been the same without the nurse that supported him after his Crohn’s Disease. Since then, he has wanted to bring forth that same continuity of care to others. “The Georgia South team and Colquitt Regional Medical Center have been welcoming, and honestly, it almost feels like I have been here forever. The organization is committed to values, beliefs, and a mission that will promote the improvement of healthcare in rural Georgia. The team is patient with us incoming interns, and I cannot wait to continue to grow with this program” said Harris. As a physician, Dr. Harris is committed to the underserved and populations where quality of healthcare doesn’t come as accessible. He strongly believes that Georgia South is preparing him to successfully provide quality care to families, especially in rural communities. Dr. Harris chose Family Medicine due to its wide range of procedures. The field allows him to be a well-rounded physician with a multitude of experiences. His biggest passion is providing quality care to the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing population. “The scarcity of medical interpreters makes it challenging for the deaf community to get immediate care or basic follow-up procedures” says Harris. He hopes to make it known that there is a need for doctors to also be knowledgeable in sign language to help show patients that you are willing to provide care until technological resources are provided. He also has an interest in women’s health. Dr. Harris’ favorite memory thus far has been the Welcome Ceremony. He mentioned how it was truly humbling to see the community come together to welcome me and my fellow residents as a part of the Colquitt Regional family.
Dr. Hyder Naqvi is originally from McDonough, Georgia and attended medical school at PCOM – GA. The Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program brought him to the small, rural city of Moultrie, Georgia. Dr. Naqvi has always been passionate about becoming a physician since elementary school. As a student, he was mainly looking for a program where he could get along with faculty and the fellow residents. At Georgia South, Dr. Naqvi expressed “I like how this is an unopposed program so residents have the opportunity to gain a wide range of experience. My experience at Georgia South has been excellent so far. I really enjoy the staff and the residents in the program. In addition, the program organizes the intern schedule well so that you will never feel overwhelmed. I feel like Georgia South is preparing me well for my career in that the faculty are really good facilitating the knowledge gaps that I have, especially when discussing patient cases. In addition, accessibility to the staff when needing to ask them for help has been excellent.” Colquitt Regional has been a welcoming atmosphere that has allowed him to develop patient relationships. “I like the concept of continuity of care that exists in family practice. I enjoy developing relationships with patients and treating them over a long period of time” said Dr. Naqvi. His long-term goal is practicing outpatient medicine in Georgia
Born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia, Dr. Rickey Patel wanted to practice his training at a residency program that was close to home. Georgia South has helped Dr. Patel prepare for a successful career by exposing him and allowing him autonomy in the care of the full spectrum of patients he sees. He has always wanted to help improve the lives of others and Georgia South has allowed him to do that. Dr. Patel said that he chose family medicine to improve access to healthcare in rural areas by being able to see a diverse patient population and improving the continuity of care between them. His favorite memory at Georgia South thus far has been the team building exercise and the zip-lining course with his fellow residents. One reason that he chose Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program was because of how welcoming and friendly everyone was as well as its location. Dr. Patel enjoys behavioral health and preventative care. His long-term goal after residency is to stay in the community and open an outpatient family medicine practice.
Dr. William Seemer knew that he wanted to choose a career in medicine because he believes that everyone needs access to healthcare. One of his primary goals as a physician is to be able to provide care to patients according to their medical needs, not their socio-economic status. Dr. Seemer is originally from Rockledge, Florida and attended medical school at PCOM – GA. As a medical student he had a terrific experience rotating at Georgia South. Due to this positive experience, Dr. Seemer said “It was immediately apparent that the faculty at Georgia South are fully invested in the training of their residents and in the continuous development of the residency program. In addition, the sense of camaraderie amongst the residents here is in a different league from any other program that I’ve ever experienced. At Colquitt Regional, there’s a real sense of unity here and I immediately felt like I was at home, where I belonged. The level of support that the faculty and other residents provide is truly unparalleled.” Dr. Seemer chose family medicine because of his desires to learn and be proficient in as many areas of medicine as possible. The breadth of training and the freedom to focus that training to pursue his interests as they evolve is what made family medicine an ideal fit for him. Dr. Seemer’s long-term goal is to practice medicine in Jacksonville, Florida and provide care to underserved patient populations. Beyond the clinical practices, he would like to be involved in shaping healthcare policies that reduce barriers to access for health services and address disparities in the delivery of medical care.
If you are looking for an enhanced quality of life for you and your family that includes excellent schools and a strong community support system, all located in a charming southern town, come visit all that we have to offer!
A career at Colquitt Regional Medical Center is more than just a job. It is a great work environment for dedicated healthcare professionals to do what they do best: care for others.
